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Social anxiety in body dysmorphic disorder
Body Image
|November 1, 2006
Summary
Patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) often experience significant social anxiety, which correlates with symptom severity. While fluoxetine did not outperform placebo, responders showed notable social anxiety improvement.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is often associated with social distress, yet social anxiety in BDD remains under-researched.
- Clinical observations suggest significant social difficulties for individuals with BDD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and correlates of social anxiety in patients diagnosed with BDD.
- To examine the impact of pharmacotherapy, specifically fluoxetine, on social anxiety levels in BDD patients.
Main Methods:
- 81 patients with BDD completed the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS) and BDD symptom measures.
- A subset participated in a placebo-controlled fluoxetine trial, with assessments at baseline and endpoint.
Main Results:
- BDD patients exhibited higher social anxiety (mean SADS score) compared to nonclinical samples.
- Social anxiety severity significantly correlated with BDD symptom severity.
- Depressive symptoms and comorbid avoidant personality disorder, but not social phobia, were linked to increased social anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Social anxiety is a significant issue in BDD, linked to overall symptom severity and certain comorbidities.
- Fluoxetine response, rather than the drug itself, predicted improvements in social anxiety.
- Addressing social anxiety is crucial for accurate BDD diagnosis and effective treatment retention.
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